Ben Stokes On Workload After 4th Test: 'Everything Starts Creeping Up To You...'
Ben Stokes, who was named as the player of the match for his exceptional all-round display – taking five wickets in the first innings befire scoring a century, but the England skippr said he would happily give it for a win.
India fought back to draw the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Sunday but England still lead the five-match series for the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy.
Reflecting on the game, Stokes said: 'I think when you have a good game as an allrounder, you assess by how that goes by the result at the end of the game. Will give it all back if we would've got the result. Asked the guys up there to run through a brick wall for the team and I'll do the same."
When asked about his body and the workload of being on the field for so long in the Test, he said: 'Bowling, being on the field, it is tough work.. Pretty sore (the body). Obviously have got through a fair amount of overs. Everything starts creeping up to you."
What England Captain Said About India's Jadeja And Sundar?
Commenting on the pitch and India's Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar – who put on an unbeaten 203-run stand, Stokes said: 'As the game progressed, the wicket sort of became easier to bat on. There was variable bounce for the right-handers, but not much for the left-handers. Heapload of credit to the way Washington and Jadeja played there."
He also complimented England's opening pair, Crawley and Duckett, for setting the early tone and allowing England to dictate the pace. 'Duckett-Crawley partnership was crucial in the first innings to set the platform," he said.
Opening up on the last day's play, Stokes said: 'Has been a back-and-forth series so far. Real high quality. It's one of those moments where you feel this is where the game will be broken open. The quality that India have, they were going to be hard to dislodge and they proved that. We threw everything at them and they were able to live up to the pressure of the final day. All the hard work was done by India.
When asked about resting his regular bowlers as the match drew to a close, Stokes said: 'Didn't want to risk my fast bowlers with any injuries towards the end. Dawson bowled a lot of overs too. Even before this Test, there were conversations around how much effort and energy have gone into the bowling department. Bowlers will be assessed over the next couple of days."
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First Published:
July 27, 2025, 23:07 IST
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